EAST PROVIDENCE — The East Providence School Department appears on track to receive in full its budget request for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2025 beginning on November 1.

The administration of Superintendent Dr. Sandra Forand submitted to the city a proposed FY25 budget of $99,396,962, which represents the maximum increase allowable under the state's maintenance of effort guidelines for municipalities.

The total is $2.2 million more year-over-year from the $97,024,640 the district sought for FY24.

Forand presented her budget to the School Committee back in August. The Committee signed off the superintendent's proposal shortly thereafter.

Last week, Forand was joined by District Finance Director Craig Enos in making a formal presentation to the City Council at the latter's meeting held Tuesday night, Sept. 17.

The Council only received the School Department request as part of the overall draft budget submission of Mayor Bob DaSilva only hours earlier just before the deadline mandated by City Charter. The city administration must provide the Council, the branch responsible for approving the city's financial plan each year, with the proposed budget 45 days prior to the end of the current fiscal year, annually on October 31.

Forand and Enos are seeking a contribution of $57,203,620 from the city, representing 56.6 percent of the schools' operational budget. The city's outlay to the district in the current fiscal year is $55,003,481.

Forand noted to the Council East Providence's state aid allocation, once thought to be at least a couple of million dollars shy than in the recent past, only slightly decreased from $39 million to $38.857 million. The city's General Assembly contingent successfully lobbied for the reduction in state assistance to be lesser than originally proposed in the FY25 budget of Governor Dan McKee.

Forand highlighted where the monies in her FY25 plan would be directed.

The superintendent said district is facing the following cost increases:
●$450,000 in health care
●$1.375 million in salary raises approximate, which are contractually required
●$406,000 in transportation

Forand explained district needed to make the following hires and purchases for 2024-25 term:
● 5th Grade Francis
● 2 Speech Pathologists
● Summer School Staffing
● Web Based Software
● Custodial Supplies
● Additional Substitute Compensation
● ESY (Extended school year services are special education and related services that are provided to a student with a disability beyond the regular school year in accordance with his/her IEP)

In addition, the superintendent's budget includes the following Capital Improvements requests:
● Building Management Systems (BMS), between $400,000-$500,000
● Elementary Intercom Systems, approximately $1.5 million or $160,000
● Replacement UNI-VENTS (ventilation system), $378,000 each at Whiteknact, Silver Spring and Orlo Avenue elementary buildings as well as the Oldham Early Learning Center
● Oldham Roof Repairs, approximately $1 million
● Paving of various parking lots and playgrounds, $674,000

Of the expenditures, Forand mentioned the district, in addition to the in-house allocation, is attempting to procure some grant monies for the intercom systems.

Enos noted the district is obligated to a total salary increase from $53,868,804 to $55,303,291 year-over-year, including those anticipated for substitutes estimated to be up from $650,000 to $800,000. The district has already spent nearly $1 million for subs in the current fiscal year, nearly $300,000 more than previously allocated.

The Finance director did say the district got some relief in the pace of benefits increases, which went to just $24,025,397 from $23,290,247.

Other expenses include the addition of $400,000 to Professional/Tech Services section due to loss of grant money. Likewise, an increase in operation software of $195,000 is again due to loss of access to grant funding.

The district is accruing an increase in its Supplies section up to $2,539,000 or 16% from $2,183,000 mostly due to utilities. Enos, though, said since the district has saved substantially since it joined the city side in a program contracting with the consulting firm Green Energy.

Members of the Council offered up a series of inquiries for the district admins, led off by body president and At-Large member Bod Rodericks who said while she would "obviously could need and would want more" was there a "glaring weakness" or something missing from the superintendent's proposal?

Forand, who replied there are "always capital projects we could use," said the Oldham Early Learning Center roof is definitely a priority. District staff is basically "patching the patches," but it will need to be replaced eventually.

Ward 2 Councilor Anna Sousa asked about the incentive program authored by the state for new construction, which the district utilized in building East Providence High School. Enos said the district/city is receiving $333,000 annually in reimbursements for the $189.5 million project and that money is retained by the city.

Ward 1 Councilor Frank Rego inquired about another state reimbursement plan, this one associated with the sudden closure of the Washington Bridge in December 2023. The state promised to underwrite unexpected travel expense increases incurred by the district. Enos said a check in the amount of $56,000 was actually received in recent days.

Rego also asked about the new students enrolled into the district just since the start of the 2024-25 term three weeks ago. Forand said of the 90 additions to date, 40 were at the high school, that staff there is "definitely stretched thin" and that it's likely to require additional staffing next fiscal year if the numbers hold.

Ward 4 Councilor Rick Lawson asked about the presumed $3 million surplus from the final cost from the $189.5 million total to build the new high school. Forand said her administration and that of the mayor continue to discuss the matter. Both she and the mayor's Chief of Staff Patricia Resende said it would be earmarked for future School Department capital improvements.

Resende told the Council upon recommendation to the mayor's office, one proposal is for the city to use the money initially for debt service relief. Once the debt service line item for the fiscal year is fulfilled, the city would then move previously budgeted monies into an interest-earning account and earmarked specifically, again, for the EPSD Capital Improvements.

Lawson expressed some mild skepticism on the latter, adding he would not be approving any budget proposal for FY25 that did not include the district's Capital requests for the intercom and ventilation upgrades as well as the Oldham roof repair. "If those three things aren't included, I'm not voting for it," Lawson said.